Obama calls Boehner, McConnell

2/21/13 2:16 PM EST

President Barack Obama called GOP congressional leaders on Thursday to discuss a number of issues, including the looming sequester cuts, the White House said.

Press secretary Jay Carney said the president spoke with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker John Boehner. Carney did not describe the conversations or elaborate on the subjects they spoke about.

“There are a number of issues that need to be discussed. Certainly the sequester is one of them, but I don’t have any characterization of those phone calls. ” he said.

Spokesmen for Boehner and McConnell declined to comment.

There did not appear to be any indication from Carney that much progress had been made during the calls. The press secretary went on to lament the absence of a negotiating partner on the Republican side.

"This president has demonstrated again and again -- in his submission to the supercomittee, in his budget, in his proposals to Speaker Boehner -- a willingness to compromise, a willingness to meet Republicans halfway," he said. "But you come halfway and your negotiating partner stays where he or she is, that makes it very difficult to reach a compromise. You need compromise from the other side."